This year Pentecost Sunday, the time when we remember the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Church, comes on May 15. However, throughout the history of the Church there has always been a period of prayer in preparation for Pentecost.
Jesus told the believers to return to Jerusalem to be baptized with the Holy Spirit when He ascended to Heaven after appearing to them for 40 days. About 120 believers prayed for nine days in the Upper Room, and on the tenth day, the Feast of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came on them. That day 3000 members were added to their number, and the Church was born.
Toward the end of the ninetieth century Christians began to seek God for a new Pentecost to regain the passion and power of the early Church. On May 4, 1897, Pope Leo XIII declared that the Catholic Church would spend nine days in prayer prior to Pentecost every year, seeking the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and Unity in Christianity. This nine day period, known as a Novena, begins on May 6 this year.
The initial outpouring of the Holy Spirit fell on Protestants soon afterward, but in 1967 the Pope’s desired outpouring fell on the Catholic Church, bringing the Charismatic revival. This 1967 revival was accompanied by signs in the Heavens, a series of Lunar Eclipses on the Hebrew Feast Days Passover and Tabernacles in1967 and 1968 known as a Blood Moon Tetrads (See our Blog 9/23/15 “Blood Moon Revival”).
The latest Blood Moon Tetrad, in 2014-2015, was also the sign of a revival. We believe that this revival of the 2014-15 Blood Moons will be based on Christian unity in Christ (See our Blog of 3/30/16 “Blood Moon Revival Gains Momentum”).
Let us then join with the Catholic Church to pray for a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit for the nine days prior to Pentecost, May 6-14. Pray for the visible unity of the Church, which will let the world know that God sent Christ, as Christ prayed in John 17.
This year, let us pray in preparation for a historic new Pentecost.
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